Kavanagh was born in Harrison, New Jersey, in 1891. His parents Charles and Mary Kavanagh immigrated from Ireland in 1886. At the time of the 1900 U.S. Census, his father worked as a day laborer.\n', '

Kavanagh began his professional career in 1913 with the York White Roses of the Tri-State League. In 111 games with the White Roses, he had a .357 batting average. \n', '

After the season, the Detroit Tigers bought his contract, and he made his major league debut the following season on April 18, 1914. In July 1914, Kavanagh forgot to set his alarm and missed part of a game; backup infielder Billy Purtell\'s poor play led to the Tigers losing the game as a result. Kavanagh finished the 1914 season with a .248 batting average and 16 stolen bases in 128 games. In 1915, he had his best year in professional baseball. In 113 games, 44 at first base and 42 at second base, he had a .295 batting average and 13 triples. In 1916, Kavanagh struggled; his average fell to .141 in 58 games for the Tigers. \n', '

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